JAPAN DAY 7: MOVING ON

TODAY I’M LEAVING TOKYO AND HEADING FOR SHIZUOKA, A QUAINT LITTLE CITY NESTLED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE OCEAN AND MOUNT FUJI. SPENT THE EARLY HALF OF THE MORNING PACKING. IT TOOK SOME ENGINEERING, BUT I WAS ABLE TO ARRANGE EVERYTHING IN MY SMALL LITTLE BAGS “JUST SO” (AS I TOUCH A FEW FINGERTIPS TOGETHER IN A DAINTY FASHION, FOR EMPHASIS). REALIZED I DIDN’T HAVE MY PASSPORT. SPENT THE LATE HALF OF THE MORNING UNPACKING, SEARCHING, MUMBLING VARIOUS CUSS WORDS, AND REPACKING AGAIN.

SHINPEI CAME TO THE ROOM TO SAY GOOD MORNING, AND HE BROUGHT WITH HIM A MIGHTY BEARD UPON HIS PREVIOUSLY CLEAN-SHAVEN FACE. MY GOD, WHAT A VISION OF MANLINESS! EITHER HE WAS BITTEN BY A WOLF LAST NIGHT, OR HE’S BEEN SHOOTING 2 QUARTS OF TESTOSTERONE INTO HIS NECK BEFORE BEDTIME.

BUT AS HE GOT CLOSER, I REALIZED IT WAS NOT SHINPEI - BUT AN IMPOSTOR! OR, MORE ACCURATELY, SHINPEI’S BROTHER YOHEI. HE LIVES ON HIS OWN, BUT STOPPED BY THE FAMILY’S HOUSE TO SAY “HELLO”. SO, WE SAID “HELLO”, INTRODUCED OURSELVES, STRUGGLED THROUGH A MULTILINGUAL CONVERSATION ON MY VACATION PLANS, AND AGREED TO MEET WHEN I RETURN TO TOKYO NEXT WEEK. I DOUBT HE HAS ANY INTENTION TO ACTUALLY MEET UP AGAIN, BUT I LOVE THE JAPANESE FOR BEING SO POLITE ABOUT SUCH THINGS.


I GOT ON THE SHINKANSEN (BULLET TRAIN) TO SHIZUOKA, AND GOT TOGETHER WITH MY AMERICAN FRIENDS MARCUS, CHRIS, AND CHAZ (ABOVE). I ORIGINALLY MET THEM ON MY FIRST TRIP TO JAPAN 3 YEARS AGO. THEY USED TO RUN AN INTERNET RADIO SHOW ON LIFE IN JAPAN, AND HAD ME ON AS A GUEST . THE SHOW HAS SINCE EVOLVED INTO A PODCAST CALLED GUZEN MEDIA JAPAN.


SEEING AS I WAS DEVELOPING LIMITATIONS ON MY TOLERANCE FOR ALL THINGS NEW AND EXCITING, CHAZ AND I OPTED FOR AN AMERICAN STYLE DINER FOR SUPPER THAT NIGHT. I HAD PANCAKES. THEY WUZ GOOD.


WHILE WE DISCUSSED OUR THOUGHTS ON INTERNET CULTURE, AUDIO SOFTWARE, AND ALL THAT’S WRONG WITH KIDS TODAY, MY ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO A YOUNG WAITRESS AT THE OTHER END OF THE DINER. I WAS CAPTIVATED. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SEXUAL ABOUT IT, BUT SHE HAD THE MOST ODDLY STRIKING FEATURES AND DEMEANOR THAT I HAD YET TO COME ACROSS IN MY TRAVELS.

SHE LOOKED TO BE NO MORE THAN 80 lbs, AND THAT’S GIVING HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. HER SKIN WAS THIS FLAWLESSLY WHITE SHADE OF PORCELAIN, AND HER EYES WERE DARKER THAN THE BURNT STEAKS SHE WAS SERVING. HER FACE WAS THE EXPRESSION OF EXPRESSIONLESSNESS, AS IF SHE WAS HAVING A PLEASANT DISCUSSION ABOUT EMPTINESS WITH BUDDHA UNDER A LOTUS TREE INSIDE HER MIND.

…I DON’T KNOW HOW TO WRAP UP WHAT I STARTED TALKING ABOUT HERE, SO I’LL JUST SIMPLY SAY… I SAW SOMEONE VERY INTERESTING.

TODAY I LIKE: TRAIN RIDES. WHEEE!
TODAY I DISLIKE: TRYING TO FIND WHERE TO GET MY RAIL PASS AUTHORIZED